Heard from Peter Mayer

[pegkerr]

I've mentioned the Minnesota singer Peter Mayer's music before on this LiveJournal; I love his music and have all of his CDs and have heard him in concert several times. I mentioned that a number of his songs made it onto my Winter playlist. I especially recommend his album Midwinter for anyone who has seasonal affective disorder. There is one song in particular on that album, "The Longest Night" that has been an especial comfort. (You can hear a lovely clip from the beginning of "The Longest Night" from the page for this album at CD Baby.)

So I contacted him by e-mail through his website to let him know how much his music has meant to me. I just got a lovely acknowledgment e-mail back from him.

I've gotten some notes by e-mail over the year from people responding to my books, and so I know how much it can mean to an artist/creator to hear from people who have enjoyed their work. I have a friend who is a well-known YA author, who has remarked rather wryly about letters she gets from kids at times. "Clearly school assignments," she says. "Their teacher thinks it would be a marvelous idea to have the kids write to a favorite author and get an answer back--never thinking to include an SASE or to consider the financial and time burden it would be to reply when I can sometimes get hundreds of the things a month. Funny how they dry up during the summer when school is out."

True. So I approached him by e-mail, not expecting a reply, but was very pleased to hear back from him.

Have you ever written to an artist, an author or a musician, just to tell him or her how much you've enjoyed their work? Tell me about it, why you felt the urge to write. Did you get any kind of response? I've sent a number of them myself over the years. Not all of them have responded.

Comments

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

It's from Leave a Little Light, which appears to be unavailable. It's in a minor key, in 3 or 4 parts for women's voices, and I have the sheet music somewhere although I don't seem to be able to open the file on my computer ...

a fire is burning
the long night draws near
all who need comfort
are welcome by here
we'll dance 'neath the stars
and toast the past year
for the spirit of solstice
is still living here

we'll count all our blessings
while the mother lays down
with snow as her blanket
covering the ground
thanks to the mother
for the life that she brings
she'll waken to warm us
again in the spring

the poor and the hungry
the sick and the lost
these are our children
no matter the cost
come by the fire
the harvest to share
for the spirit of solstice
is still living here

a fire is burning
the long night draws near
all who need comfort
are welcome by here
we'll dance 'neath the stars
and toast the past year
for the spirit of solstice
is still living here

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I love that. I wonder if the mp3 is available on iTunes.

Is the sheet music for this something you transcribed yourself, or is it available to buy for public performance? Because if the music is anywhere near as pretty as the words, I'd love to pass it on to the people who organize our church's Solstice service.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

I typed it in from hand-written copies, which were probably transcribed and arranged by someone listening to the music. The choir with whom I performed it tended to be, er, informal, about music copying and performance rights, but I know that Kim answers e-mail and is reasonable. (Er, at least she was a few years ago, before she got fed up with our newsgroup-in-common). I would be glad to share what I have, though.

It doesn't seem to be in iTunes.